The Actor's Path
The actor's path. The actor's path. I wasn't completely uninterested in acting. It was in the same industry as idols, and the pay was pretty decent too. If she wanted to do it on the side, I'd welcome it with open arms—as a side gig, that is. But the director's intentions were the exact opposite. He wanted her to treat acting as her main career and idols as the side gig.
That was something I couldn't do. My main job was always going to be as an idol.
"Thank you for the offer, but I have no plans to switch to acting full-time. I'm fine doing projects like this once in a while."
If I were a solo artist, I might have been able to juggle both as full-time gigs. But I was in a group right now. Coordinating schedules with every single member for acting projects was practically impossible.
"So, I'll have to pass."
After my sharp refusal, the director cleared his throat awkwardly a few times.
"I get where you're coming from. You've only just debuted as an idol, so hearing something like this must be overwhelming."
Was he going to back off? I hoped so, but the fire in the director's eyes hadn't died yet.
"I'm not saying quit idols right away. Keep doing that, but let's prepare for acting on the side. Plenty of other idols do it."
He had a point. Debuting as an idol, letting activities slow down a bit, then transitioning to acting—that was one of the standard paths for Korean idols. But I had no intention of sticking around in this industry that long. Earn enough to last a lifetime, then bow out clean.
"I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up."
I said it ambiguously out of politeness. We'd be working together going forward, so drawing a hard line and making things awkward wasn't ideal. The director seemed to pick up on my intent and nodded calmly.
"...I see. Got it. Then let's focus on this project for now."
Just then, the food arrived on the table. It looked expensive at a glance.
"Can I dig in?"
"Of course. The tuna belly here is killer."
I didn't hold back, popping a piece of sushi from the plate into my mouth in one bite. Delicious.
"That's 1.36 million won."
"...Put it on installments. Six months."
After settling the bill and stepping outside, the sun had already set. Sihyeon (Ruti's alias for the role) had left early for her schedule. Yang Jin-hyung pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag. It tasted especially bitter today.
'I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up.'
Yang Jin-hyung had watched actors perform through the camera lens hundreds of times over. He could tell at a glance that she didn't mean it. Her face screamed zero interest in the industry.
He could understand that. She was killing it as an idol already. No need to jump into acting.
'I was too hasty.'
He shouldn't have pushed so hard right away. He needed to spark her interest first. He'd gotten carried away by how impressed he was with her acting. But there was still a chance. Through Want to Reach You, he'd show not just the public, but Sihyeon herself—that she shone brighter as an actress than as an idol Ruti.
To do that, he had to pour everything into this project for now. Steel resolve in his eyes, Yang Jin-hyung looked up at the sky. A single star twinkled through the cigarette smoke.
"No going home early for a while."
His name was Yang Jin-hyung, a man who didn't know the word quit.
"Hello, Ruti."
Someone from the director's side visited the agency. His name was Kim Si-woo, right? The screenwriter for the movie I'd be in. He handed me a paper bag. Inside were the script and schedule.
I checked the script first. The overall story matched what I knew. But was it just me, or did the quality feel a notch higher than before?
"Didn't the director come with you?"
I had questions, but he was nowhere in sight. Kim Si-woo scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.
"The director overdid it a bit and he's in the hospital now."
"I-Is he okay?"
"Yeah. The doctor says a day or two of rest and he'll be fine."
I'd half-expected it, but I didn't realize he was this passionate. I'd contact him later—recovery came first.
"Any issues with the schedule? If there's overlaps or anything, let us know. We'll adjust on our end."
I reviewed the schedule. With a summer release looming, the shoot was packed tighter than I'd imagined. Still, they'd dodged all my performance dates. The agency must have coordinated ahead.
As I scanned it carefully, something made me doubt my eyes.
"...Huh?"
I spotted a familiar name under the filming locations.
Want to Reach You was a drama set in school. Naturally, the main backdrop was high school, so I figured we'd film on an actual campus.
...But I never imagined it'd be my school.
The location listed was Haneul Arts High School, where I went. They'd picked the closest school to the agency for schedule management, apparently.
"Sihyeon-ah, come on in."
"Hello."
The director, already on site, greeted me warmly. In the back, staff were setting up lights, cameras, and sound.
"We set up the stage inside Class 1-7 like you asked. But why 7 specifically?"
"Just a preference."
Class 1-7 was my class. I wanted to film in a familiar atmosphere, so I'd requested it. Inside the classroom, dozens of extras were practicing lines. Same uniforms, same room, but filled with strangers. It felt oddly fresh.
"Looking forward to working with you today."
I greeted each extra personally. The girls responded with bright smiles, the boys with shy ones. Very teenage. They'd cast mostly real high schoolers for authenticity.
"Rehearsal first. Everyone to your marked spots."
My seat: back row, by the window. My usual desk. Familiar scenery stretched outside. It put me at ease.
"She doesn't look nervous at all."
"Top idols are on another level."
Whispers floated from around the room. I ignored them and prepped. The director entered, and rehearsal kicked off proper.
First scene: protagonist's monologue. Voiceover was pre-recorded, so no lines. I rested my chin, gazing out the window naturally. Head slightly bowed, eyes unfocused, channeling Lee Ha-eun from my mind like flowing water.
First time acting a role, but it came out smooth. Of course it did. Same classroom, uniform, desk as always—and the sync rate between Lee Ha-eun and Kim Siyeon was 99.9%.
To me, this moment wasn't acting. It was everyday life.
"...Heh, my instincts were spot on."
From a corner, the director watched with a face full of ambition. Kinda creepy with that stare.
...What the heck was he thinking?
Monday morning. I barely made it to school on time, as usual. Entering the classroom, I saw classmates crowding my desk.
"Hurry up if you're taking pics."
"Yeah, think of the people behind you."
They took turns sitting and snapping photos, treating my desk like a tourist spot.
"That's where Ruti sits?"
"Lemme sit just once!"
Kids from other classes lined up too. Word had spread overnight: Ruti had filmed here.
I stood awkwardly at the back.
"You guys, enough already."
Ga-young finally scolded them. Class president through and through.
"The owner's here—move it. How long are you gonna hog it for photos?"
Ga-young neatly herded the class, as always. Then one girl grumbled, looking utterly baffled.
"...She snuck in at dawn to take hundreds of selfies."
My gaze naturally shifted to Ga-young. Up close, dark circles ringed her eyes.
...You too?
As I stood there dazed, a meaningful conversation drifted from a corner.
"Yo, when's the next shoot?"
"Next weekend, I think."
"Oh, can we watch?"
Somehow my schedule had leaked—everyone knew the dates. Some planned to come gawk. I worried a bit. That day, I'd look almost exactly like Kim Siyeon.
...No one would recognize me, right?